The Art of Selfies

I hit a milestone last week.

I took one of my best selfies ever on #SelfieSunday.

Mom, in case you’re reading, this is what a “selfie” is:

Since the beginning of Instagram, there has been much debate about selfies. Such as:

  • People who take selfies are pathetic.
  • If you take a lot of selfies you must like really love yourself.
  • Enough with the duck face.

And Mom:

While I do not support duck face, I do support a tasteful a selfie. After all, at it’s core a selfie is a “self-portrait” and every great artist has taken a self portrait. Van Gogh painted a million self-portraits. If Instragram was around in his time, his would be all selfies.  Same with Frida Kahlo, heck, even Pablo Picasso!

I believe it was Buddha* who said, “self worth is measured by the quality of one’s selfie.” (Note: *Buddha never said that.)

And that’s the problem. Sure, you can call us selfie lovers “egotistical”. But hey, we look pretty good in a toaster! The problem with selfies isn’t the selfies themselves. The problem is the quality of one’s selfies. Just like how painting a self-portrait is an art, so is taking a selfie.  The angle of your camera is your brush, the expression on your face and your surroundings are the canvas, and your Instagram filters are your color palettes.

So, the next time you get ready for a girls night and you look in the mirror and think to yourself, “Damn! I look good,” don’t be afraid to snap a selfie. But make sure when you do, that you really capture the art that is a self-portrait.

Celebrities take tons of selfies. Amanda Bynes brought selfies to a whole new level this summer with her infamous bra pics, and it’s easy to keep up with the Kardashians – just follow their selfies on instagram! But not every celebrity has mastered the art of selfies, just like how not every artist’s paintings are going to be a masterpiece.

Miley Cyrus has been getting a lot of critique lately. From her VMA performance, to her swinging naked on a wrecking ball, to of course the twerking. But after investigating her social media, I began to see the bigger problem: Miley has no idea how to take a proper selfie!

I think we can all learn and grow from Miley’s mistakes. So I made a chart for you, which points out both the perfections and flaws of Miley’s latest self-portrait:

In conclusion, snap a selfie or don’t. It’s a free country. The choice is yours. To quote the great 3LW, “Haters gonna hate.” So do what makes you happy. Just make sure you master the art of a self-portrait before you post it on Instagram. And don’t use the Kelvin filter. NO ONE looks good in Kelvin.

What’s your selfie strategy? Or do you think people who take selfies (guilty!) need to just stop?

Featured images via inonit.in  and celebuzz.com

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